This invention relates to apparatus and methods for mounting components on three-dimensional structures and more particularly to apparatus and methods for mounting pressure transducers or similar transducers on convoluted three-dimensional structures such as turbine blades
As one can ascertain from the prior art, there are many complicated mechanical devices which essentially are subjected to high velocities or high rotational speeds during operation. A particularly good example of one such device is the turbine blade.
Turbine blades are utilized in a wide variety of applications and apparatus such as in engines, pumps and so on. Prior to the incorporation of such a blade in an operating system, the engineer typically makes measurements concerning the aerodynamic performance of the blade during various operating conditions. These testing and measurement procedures are often- times complicated and difficult to perform. In the case of a turbine blade or other device which is subjected to high speed operation and which device is essentially a complex shape, one has to assure that the surface contours of the device are not changed by the mounting of various test components on the device and that such mounting would be suitable to the extremely high G forces encountered under test conditions.
This is particularly important in regard to turbine blades whereby such a blade may be subjected to very high velocities and during test procedures, the surface contours of the blade must not be changed in order for the engineer to determine that the blade exhibits proper aerodynamic operation according to the mechanical design.
In any event, in order to provide such testing, various components such as pressure transducers, accelerometers and so on are mounted on the blade. The outputs of these devices are then monitored to determine operating characteristics during the various conditions that the blade would be exposed to during normal operation. It is, of course, apparent that based on the highly convoluted three-dimensional structure of such a blade, the basic form of the blade must be maintained in order for the designer to assure that the blade as designed will operate according to specifications.
Thus, according to prior art techniques various testing components such as pressure transducers, accelerometers and other devices were mounted directly on the surface of the blade. These devices, of course, occupy a given volume, and hence the devices as well as the wires connecting these devices to the testing apparatus protruded from the surfaces of the blade. This essentially changed the blade profile, and hence the tests were not really indicative of the true operation of the blade.
As one can understand, the turbine blade is given as an example of a particular device which essentially possesses convoluted three-dimensional surfaces. It is apparent that there are many other devices which are utilized for example in engines and so on which also require testing during operation and which also cannot have their profiles disturbed by the mounting of various test components on the surfaces of the device.
It is, of course, apparent that all components which are mounted in conjunction with testing procedures on such convoluted surfaces such as pressure transducers and the accompanying connecting wires are subjected to extremely high gravitational forces during operation. Hence, it would be extremely desirable to provide a method and apparatus for testing such convoluted three-dimensional structures without upsetting the design profile of such structures.
It would be a further object to provide a means of mounting test components such as pressure transducers on the surface of such devices while maintaining the exact profile and while further assuring that there are no projecting wires or component surfaces which would otherwise disturb the aerodynamic properties of such a device.